It was a dizzying array of unfamiliar sights and sounds.

I moved from Beaufort, South Carolina; I lived among beaches and palm trees where the Spanish moss grew and hung from the trees, the smell of the marshes lingered in the air, and shrimp boats drifted along the ocean. We listened to music, the Beach Boys, Journey, and Styx, and we loved a little Boy George too, but the little group of friends that I hung out with was more interested in the Commodores and The Gap Band. We wore penny loafers and Chinos, button-down collars, alligators on our shirts, and used terms like "Gag me with a spoon."  ET had just called home, Rocky Balboa had won the championship, and football games on a Friday night were more about gossiping than the game.

In January 1984, we moved to England. We arrived at Heathrow airport, navigated through customs, and got in a car. Yes, they drove on the other side of the street, but that was not my first memory. It occurred to me that they never stopped. I had been operating in America, where we had stop signs, and in England, they used the roundabout, and you just kept driving. It was a dizzying array of unfamiliar sights and sounds. The kids there listened to New Wave - Thompson Twins, Culture Club, 99 Luftballons by Nena, and I was introduced to a new group musical group called Wham. They dressed differently, too. Punk was the rage and black boots, torn jeans, torn t-shirts, and the mohawk - boys wore earrings and had spiky hair of various colors. I settled into a different look altogether - I found myself in peg leg paints and twisty beads - my all-time favorite accessory. You could discover every matching color and coordinate - mix and match for any outfit. I thought it was fantastic. Jelly shoes (plastic shoes) I had big hair, short in the front and long in the back - It was great fun. 

My guidance counselor told me that I did not have any chance of going to college; I said, "We will see about that..." By August of that same year, I found myself at a community college in Hutchenson, Kansas. Another change - I had learned to be flexible! I thought change was routine and thought everyone lived the way I did. That was not the case. They listened to Randy Travis, Ricky Scaggs, and George Strait in Kansas and enjoyed state fairs, tractor pulls, rodeos, and picnics. I bought blue jeans and flannel shirts.  

I studied art. I learned about Renoir, Monet, and the other French Impressionists; I delved into art history and found it fascinating. My luck continued. I had the excellent fortune to fly back to the United Kindom in the summer and see the actual artwork I had read about; I was awestruck! 

In my book On Rosy Lane, I created a character named Jim. Who, in my story, taught art history. Much as I had planned to do when I continued my education at Pittsburg, Kansas. At Pittsburg State University, I met a young man from Missouri who was full of charm. He was a tall, lanky man who used words like "Golly" and "Howdy Ma'am" as he tipped his cowboy hat and smiled. The girls all went crazy for him. My character Jim is a combination of the men I met in Kansas with my deep love for art and poetry. On Rosy Lane is now available to buy on my website RoseElainePublishing.com or on Amazon.